Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola.
Only one point separates the two sides with Chelsea on 31 and City on 30 but Antonio Conte's impact at Stamford Bridge appears greater than his City counterpart Pep Guardiola's at the Etihad.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will not allow his players time off for Christmas as he wants to ensure they are fully prepared for Monday's English Premier League trip to basement team Hull City.
Former midfielder Paul Scholes, who played more than 700 matches for United, said the club are lagging behind City and a strengthened Liverpool this season.
Marcus Rashford scored on his 100th Premier League appearance on Sunday to secure a 1-0 win over Leicester City that kept interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dream start going at his old club.
Schwarzer, 42, played 12 times for Chelsea last season as backup to Petr Cech, but has only been an unused substitute four times this season.
'In the present-day game, it is difficult to see any club having players who can stay with them for 10 years'
Speculation surrounding Zlatan Ibrahimovic's future is not affecting Sweden's Euro 2016 campaign, coach Erik Hamren has said.
Manchester United were right to sack Louis van Gaal after the club failed to qualify for next season's Champions League, according to his fellow Dutchman Ruud Gullit.
Manchester United are satisfied with their transfer business and under no pressure to sign a fourth player in the current window, manager Jose Mourinho said.
Round-up of football matches played around Europe on Saturday.
Midfielders John Obi Mikel, Andre Schurrle and Ramires will all play no part while striker Didier Drogba is not fit enough to play for 90 minutes, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United's interim manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been hailed by the Norwegian press and his former United captain and teammate Gary Neville expects him to get the job on a permanent basis this month: "I'll be surprised if Solskjaer is not awarded the job during the international break (in March)."
Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku should keep things simple as he tries to end his eight-game scoring drought, according to former United striker Dimitar Berbatov.
IMAGES from the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday
Curtin Jones's 71st-minute strike saw Liverpool edge past Everton in a derby tie at Anfield.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been named the Premier League manager of the month for February, while in-form Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane picked up his fourth player of the month award.
Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Oscar has taken to Twitter to deny reports of a training ground row with team mate and Spain international Diego Costa.
Jose Mourinho dropped his main striker Diego Costa for Chelsea's Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but the champions still proved toothless up front as they ground out an undistinguished goalless draw at White Hart Lane.
Chelsea have re-signed Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba on a one-year contract, the Premier League club said on Friday.
Leicester City has a chance to go top of the English Premier League table with a maximum nine points.
The 76-year-old, who was kept in intensive care for days after his operation for brain hemorrhage, in a new video he released on Thursday, said he 'felt humbled' by the support.
'Being back in the Champions League is going back to the natural habitat. Manchester United (have been there) season after season'
'Obviously, coming back where I started was for me, why I was really happy. Now I'm ready to come as a confirmed player not a youth player'
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger says he will not play for another club in Europe despite being unable to seal a place in the squad under new manager Jose Mourinho. Schweinsteiger, who is yet to make a first team appearance for United this season, has been made to train with the club's reserves and would be sold after Mourinho signed French midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus, according to media reports.
Tottenham Hotspur climbed to third with a 3-1 win over Southampton while Chelsea hung on to fourth spot, above Arsenal on goal difference, despite a 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Barcelona fought back to earn a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in a pulsating Europa League knockout round playoff first leg on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his return to the starting line-up as Manchester United sealed a place in the Europa League knock-out rounds with a 3-0 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Striker Ibrahimovic and defender Rojo are back training with the first team after suffering serious knee ligament injuries last season while midfielder Pogba has shaken off a hamstring problem that has kept him out of the side since September.
Manchester United may field weakened teams in the league if a top-four finish seems beyond them in order to boost their chances of winning the Europa League, manager Jose Mourinho said.
New Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come to England to prove himself and wants to produce the "beautiful football" for which his teams are famed, he told reporters on Friday. Speaking at his first news conference since joining the club, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach said his personal learning curve would be steep as he came to terms with his new team and adapted to the rigours of the Premier League. "It's the right moment to come here and prove myself," he said. Asked if he could get City to play the sort of beautiful football trademarked by Barcelona, he added. "That's why I am here. I want to play the way I want. But wherever you go you have to adapt to the quality of the players. We have to find each other as soon as possible.
The Spaniard became the most successful foreign manager in the history of English football, after clinching his fourth Premier League crown.
Manchester United and Chelsea drew 0-0 in the Premier League on Monday as the action in the season's first big match failed to match the intrigue of the Wayne Rooney transfer saga that swirled throughout.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Rooney, the all-time leading goalscorer for club and country, has started eight Premier League games this season and has not played since Feb. 1.
This and more from the happenings in the world of football
Ibrahimovic said he had received offers from the Premier League, Italy and outside Europe but gave no more details.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said the uncompromising attitude to hard work of incoming manager Antonio Conte is exactly what is needed to galvanize the outgoing Premier League champions.
IMAGES from the Europa League matches played on Thursday.
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